Monkeying around at Edinburgh Science Triangle

IT’S a jungle out there – as Edinburgh Science Triangle’s Malcolm Bateman discovered when he was surrounded by scores of animal sculptures in a warehouse.

The initiative’s chairman was lending a hand varnishing some of the 130 sculptures ahead of being released into Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens earlier this week as part of a bid to raise £1 million to save the world’s most endangered species.

Edinburgh Science Triangle is playing its part in Jungle City 2011 by sponsoring a bagpipe-playing orang-utan, which will be on show at the newly-refurbished National Museum of Scotland for most of September.

The artwork will also visit the Turing Festival in Edinburgh’s Surgeons Hall and Our Dynamic Earth between August 26 and 28.

Mr Bateman said: “We are delighted to support this excellent initiative that highlights the risk to some of the planet’s endangered species while at the same time giving us the opportunity to increase awareness of the excellent science and technology taking place in the Edinburgh city region.”

Edinburgh Science Triangle is also running a competition to name its orang-utan. The prize is an Edinburgh Zoo family ticket and a £20 voucher for the Jungle Food Court. The closing date for entries is August 31.

To enter email frances.burgess@edinburghsciencetriangle.com with subject line ‘Jungle City Competition’ and include a name for the orang-utan, contact details and answer the tie break question ‘What is an orang-utan’s favourite food?’